Smokers more likely to quit with natural cytisine

A pill that dampens nicotine cravings could play a major role in helping people kick the smoking habit, say scientists, who found that potential quitters are more than twice as likely to succeed when taking the tablet called cytisine.

While many people have resorted to products like vapes, patches and gums in efforts to end their dependence on nicotine, doctors looked at the evidence for cytisine to help smokers break their addiction.

Cytisine is a natural ingredient in laburnum seeds, however, the seeds themselves are poisonous, reports The Guardian.

Cytisine pills have been safely used in central and eastern Europe for decades, but the ingredient is unavailable in most countries.

Regulatory approval was passed only recently in Britain, where the pills will be made available later this month.

Researchers in Argentina analysed 12 randomised controlled trials that compared the success rates of smokers who tried to quit while taking cytisine, a placebo, another smoking cessation drug called varenicline (Champix), or nicotine replacement therapies like patches and gum.

They found that the cytisine pills were more than twice as effective as the placebo at helping people quit smoking, while a number of the trials in the review suggested the drug was similar to varenicline and possibly more effective than nicotine replacement therapy.

Their findings were published in the journal Addiction.

“Our study adds to the evidence that cytisine is an effective and inexpensive stop-smoking aid,” said Omar de Santi, a toxicologist at the Posadas National Hospital in Argentina, who led the review. “Worldwide, smoking is considered the main cause of preventable death. Cytisine has the potential to be one of the big answers to that problem.”

Cytisine pills are due to be available in the UK as a prescription-only medicine by the end of January.

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